Biography

Matt McGrath made his Olympic début in 1908 at the age of 30 and in 1928, as a 50-year-old, he came within an ace of becoming the only U.S. track & field athlete to compete in five Olympic Games. After finishing second at the 1928 Eastern Olympic Trials, he had an off day at the Final Trials and finished in fifth place. Frank Connor and Ken Caskey, both of whom McGrath had beaten at the Eastern meet, finished ahead of him and made the Olympic team. There was a public outcry over McGrath’s omission from the team and although he went to Amsterdam after a subscription fund had been raised to pay his fare, he was, surprisingly not allowed to compete. Still, McGrath is remembered as one of the great hammer throwers of all time. He won seven AAU titles, set two world records in 1907 and 1911, and his 1912 Olympic record was not beaten until 1936. He also won the AAU 56-lb. weight throw title seven times and, in addition to his three Olympic medals, placed fifth in the hammer in 1920, although he competed with a badly twisted knee.

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